Fire-escape



' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT s. IsAaD, on HU'nsoN, OHIO.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 291,014, dated December 25, 1883.

Application tiled April 11, 1883. (Xo model.)

To all w/tom it may concern f y Be it known that I, ROBERT S. IsARD, of Hudson, county of Summit, and State of Chio, have invented a new and Improved Fire-Escape; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, and to letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in nre-escapes, and has for its object the provision of a device by means of which any number of windows or like openings in a buildingmay be made a safe means of egress for escaping from a burning structure and reaching the ground in safety. My intention is to havea nre-escape so constructed and arranged that it may be moved from one window to another, and between the extreme ends of buildings,and for convenience in bringing the device around corners or like obstacles, and for raising the lower portion of the ladder, so that it may pass over obstructions beneath it. In order to provide for the moving of the ladder from kplace to place, a suitable tramway or rails are provided at or near the eaves ofthe roof,'from which the ladder is suspended on trucks or rollers, so that it lmay be drawn to the right or left at will and brought in front of any Window or other opening desired.

In the drawing is shown a vertical elevation of a portion of a building having my improved re-escape'in position.

A is the building proper, to the eaves A of which are attached hangers or brackets B, of any suitable form to accommodate them to the style of the roof. These hangers are held and prevented from spreading by the rods b, having nuts both within and without the hanger at a. To these hangers are attached the rails C, having the part upon which the trucks run, c, lower than the outside, so that they cannot leave their track.

D are the trucks,havingjointed hangers depending from their axles, and holding the upper section of the extensible jointed ladder E. In order to give flexibility, the ladder'has the hinged or jointed parts e eff, constructed as plainly shown in the drawing, so that it can bend or fold as it passes around a curve like that at D', which is shortened between the points c c to avoid a right angle. A weight, F, holds the lower section of the ladder up away from interference and out of the way until it is lowered at will by drawing down the cord or cable F', and at any timeby releasing the cable the section will be lift-edto pass over an ell7 or any similar obstruction. Gables G G lead from the right and left, so that by taking hold of them the ladder can be moved on the rails to any desired locality where it is necessary to bring it. It will readily be seen how quickly this can be done and how any tier of windows can be reached at once. vAll parts of the device are of iron andsteel,so that heat and ilames will not render it useless. i

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In ahrc-escape having extensible jointed ladder, the hangers B, rails C, and trucks D, all constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purposes set forth and described.

2. In a Jnre-escape, the extensible jointed ladders E E', arranged to operate in the manner and for the purposes set forth and described.

3. An extensible jointed ladder traveling upon trucks and rails and suspended from a building, with suitable means for moving the same, so that the various openings or exits may be reached, substantially as set forth.

This specication signed and witnessed this 9th day of February, 1883.

ROBERT S. ISARD.

Vitnesses:

S. E. JUDD, C. H. Nonenoss. 

